Blade holder



p 0, J. T. URBAN EII'AL BLADE HOLDER Filed May 26, 1947 [III/1,

NVENTORS gwkazz ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 20, 1949 dorff, Brooklyn, 7said Batzdorff' N. Y.; s aidfUrban assigno rto Applicatiori lllfay 2s,wheelie Nblttazi This invention relates to a blade holder and, moreparticularly, to a blade holder adapted as a scalpel for medicalpractice.

The principal object of the invention is a blade holder suited to holdirregular shapes and gauges of blades. A. further object is a bladeholder of i the kind referred-to which is simple in construction andconsists-of a minimum number of parts and, this notwithstanding,permitsi a ready attachment and detachment of the blade and a firm andsteady relative securement of the parts, such asis required duringsurgical operations. Other objects will be manifest or will be apparentfrom the following description of' the invention.

7 The description will now be made with refer ence to the accompanyingdrawings, of Which Fig. lis a side elevation of the holder with a blade"secured in it; i

- Fig.- 2'is a front view'of the holder;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view, partly in longitudinal section;

Fig. 4 is likewise a fragmentary longitudinal section, but offset by 90in relation to Fig. 3, as indicated by line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a separate view of the clamping element when in open position.

The principal parts of the holder according to my invention are thehandle I, the blade holding jaws 2 and 3, and the ferrule 4. The jawsare formed with forwardly projecting gripping portions having interiorfiat clamping faces 5 adapted to hold between them the blade 6.Exteriorly, the two jaws are exactly complementary and any reference tothe form of the holding member should be understood to apply to thecomposite whole made up from the two jaws.

As appears best from Fig. 5, the holding member has a roundedcircumference lb which, however, is flattened laterally over most of itslength, thereby forming ofiset downwardly converging wall portions 1.The front end of the holding guide stud the holding member is providedwithinclined surfaces 9 and Hi. It will be noted that the surface 9 isof considerably greater length than the surface H] and that bothsurfaces are disposed at a relative angle. Surface 9, therefore, issloped toward the rear, while surface In faces the front end of theholding member.

The handle I has an exterior thread which coacts with an interiorthreading of the ferrule 4. The threading has been indicated by thereference character I l The handle also is provided "2'Qlaims.(crave-5s);

with an internal socket arrangement is so that the socket substantiallyI2 at its one end. The

extends within the area embraced by'the outside threading. The. socketis gradually enlarged at its outer end whereby an inwardly beveled wallportion I3 'is formed. The ferrule 4 is likewise provided withaninternalbeveled wall M which latter directly eomiecit'sf'with the threadportion. The :angle and direction of th incline of. the

socket wallportion l3'correspond to the inclined V surfacecof the bladeholdingmemb'errand a similarcorrespondence exists between thebeveledw'all H of thes'le'ev'e'and the surface in 'of the holdingmember. It will be understood that in this manner two sets of inclinedsurfaces are formed, each set consisting :of opposed wall p'ortions :ofa corresp'ondin'g inclination.

, The manipulation of the device is as follows: thehlaihping jaws with'the blade inserted ,between them are loosely introduced into the socketof the handle. the jaws and by gripping the knurled portion 4a isscrewed onto the handle end. The opposing inclined wall portions of bothsets are thereby forced against each other, that is, wall 9 is forcedagainst wall l3 and wall I 4 is brought into engagement with wall It].There is thus exerted a peripheral clamping pressure upon the holdingmember 2, 3 and the latter by the same action is secured to the handle.Both actionsare effected by a single screw movement of the ferrule 4.The pressure forces, as will be readily understood, can

' with the blade over the. entire area of engagement. The point ofcontact between the converging stud portions also may function when theclamp is tightened somewhat like a fulcrum or point of support and thuspermit a certain degree of spring action between the jaws.

The forwardly and laterally flattened configuration of the jaws alsopermits an easy gripping and reduces obstruction of the view during thecutting operation. Furthermore, when turned sidewise, it enables theoperator to hold the blade almost parallel to a horizontal surface. Ifdesired, the blade, for instance, a fractional portion of a razor blade,may also be placed into the holding member in a position where itscutting edge projects forwardly from the holding The ferrule is thenplaced over- 3 member. In this manner, full use could be made of thebeveled front edge 'laand the .chamfer 1c. Fromithe above description itwill be obvious that the blade holder of our invention has particularusefulness in emergencies, where the conventional types of scalpels areunavailable, as,

for instance, during military operations m war time. It permits thesurgeonto V perform his work with ordinary razorbladeseirrspectiveeofthe shape of knife required and thus also relieves him of the necessityof resharpening and resterilizing his instruments.

Manifestly, numerous modifications of thein vention are possible withoutdeparting from its basic spirit. We, therefore, do not wish tolbelimited: otherwise than by! the language of the appended claims".

1. A blade holderifor surgical use orithe'like comprising a handle; atubular end portion provide'd Onsaid'handIe; a pair; of complementaryjaws; the said'jaws'ihaving'forwardly projecting gripping portions andrearwarcly, extending body portions, flat clampingfaces providedlon theinner sides. of said gripping portions, projections provided on theinner sides of said body portions, the said projections havinganragg'regatedepth substantially equal to thothiokness of the blade tobe held, and locking "means: for applyin peripher'a'l pressur'eto Said.body portions and, for securing the same gin" saidtubular' endiportion, the said gripping portions" then projecting; out- Wardl'yfrom" said:tubulanendportroh and lockins m n' 4 2. A blade holder forsurgical use or the like comprising a. handle, a. pairlof complementaryjaws, the-said jaws having; forwardly, projecting gripping portions andrearwardly extending e body portions and having a receding front faceand exterior converging sides, the latter forming a narrow longitudinalridge at their junc- .tionJlat-substantially continuous clamping facesprovidedon the-inner sides of said gripping portionsp.converging, facesprovided on the inner sides of said body portions, a sleeve, cooperatingclamping surfaces on said body portions and said sleeve; and means forsecuring said sleeve over said jaws and to said handle so as to hold theparts in association the .said gripping. portions then projectingoutwardly from said sleeve,

IALFRED BATZDORLFF.

7 REFERENCES "armor The-following references areaof I recofdrim the fileof this patents UNFTEDSTATES PA'IENI" s ere tentern l i ,2; Jl11yF19I893

